Page 39 of Crescent Warrior

“I lied to you, my Lyta,” he murmured, taking her hand in his. “When I said that I didn’t want you as my mate. That was the biggest lie I’ve ever told in my life.”

She felt her breathing begin to stutter in and out and she glanced at him, gauging his sincerity. His eyes were fixed on her face and his eyes were clear and filled with honest regret.

Oh Gods, if this is true…

“I’ve loved you since I was old enough to understand what that is.” His voice was sad, his fingers whispering down her arm. “I was too dumb to realize that you were right. I thought what you were feeling was the same obsession I felt for you.” He closed his eyes then, squeezing them shut. “If I wasn’t so stupid, things could have been different.”

She pulled away, scrambling toward the headboard, away from his words that were killing her inside.

“I told you those things because I thought our real mates were still out there. I didn’t think—” he cut himself off, clearing his throat, his eyes glazed with tears. “If I’d known for one second, I would have snatched you up and run.”

Her body was trembling. She hugged her legs, pressing her face to her knees, the pain almost too much to bear.

“Stop lying,” she gasped.

“I did,” he nodded. “I lied to you in the past, but I’m telling you the truth now. I want everything out in the open. I’ve been in love with you since we were children.”

“You’re lying,” she moaned, rocking back and forth, squeezing her knees tight.

He moved cautiously toward her, cupping her shaking shoulders. She flinched, but didn’t pull away from him, so he leaned forward, cradling her in his arms. “I love you so much.”

“Why are you doing this?” Tears were flowing down her cheeks and she was releasing broken sobs.

I hate this. How can he shatter me with just a few words?

“I need you to know the truth, my Lyta,” he whispered against the skin of her cheek, pressing kisses there. “Do you know why I call you that?”

She frowned, turning from him, but she desperately wanted him to keep talking.

“I was never able to call you mine,” he purred, kissing her neck where his mark was, using her turned face to his advantage. “I stopped myself from doing it for so long it became second nature. She’s not my Lyta. She’s just Lyta.”

He nipped the mark now, making her entire body quiver.

“But you are my Lyta. You’ve always been and you always will be.”

She couldn’t stop herself from raising her head to look at him. His eyes were blazing with the love she always wanted to see but never thought would happen.

“You said if you could pick anyone for your mate, it wouldn’t be me.” The words were hoarse.

He winced, nodding his head in shame. “I’ve never regretted saying something so much in my life.”

“Y-you never came.” She shook her head.

“To Minnesota?” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her.

Like a sap, she basked in it, adoring the feel of his lips against hers.

“You told me not to. I’d already fucked up so much. I didn’t want to make it worse.”

Her mind was whirling with these revelations. She didn’t trust this sudden turnaround, but her heart was grabbing at it greedily.

“If you felt the same way about me,” she didn’t meet his eyes, “then when I told you that you were my mate, why didn’t you believe me?”

He huffed out an incredulous laugh, cupping her face in his hands. His guileless eyes held so much pain, her wolf howled at her to comfort him.

“After denying myself for such a long time, do you know what those words did to me?” He clutched his chest with a free hand, clawing at his heart. “I couldn’t believe you. For my own sanity. If it turned out to be wrong—” He shook his head, his eyes going dark and possessive. “I’d have kept you. I’d have hidden you from whichever bastard came claiming you were his.”

She probably shouldn’t let delirious joy overtake her heart. She should shove it back. Her mind was screaming at her that this was too good to be true, but she wanted those words from him more than she ever wanted anything else.

---